Sánchez highlights that it will be based on the model of the ship ‘Cantabria’, so construction will begin “with maximum speed”
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, announced this Wednesday the order by the Ministry of Defense to the Navantia Ferrol shipyard of a new combat supply ship for the Navy, which will involve a total investment of 439 million euros.
Sánchez highlighted that this vessel will mean a workload of 3 million hours in the Ferrol shipyards, as well as the creation of 1,800 jobs between direct and indirect positions.
The President of the Government met this Wednesday at the Ferrol shipyards with the management of Navantia, an appointment after which he held a meeting with the works council, whom he thanked for “its frankness, clarity and commitment to the company.” .
At the shipyards, he was received by the president of the public company, Ricardo Rodríguez; the Government delegate in Galicia, Pedro Blanco; the president of the Provincial Council of A Coruña, Valentín González Formoso; and the spokesperson for the local PSOE, Ángel Mato, among others. The mayor of Ferrol, the popular José Manuel Rey Varela, who this Wednesday had the Fitur institutional agenda, was not present.
In what is his third visit to Navantia Ferrol, which coincides with the pre-campaign for the Galician regional elections, Sánchez has referred to the Ferrol shipyards as a “symbol of Spanish naval construction” and has framed his presence in the commitment of his Executive by the Spanish naval industry and, singularly, by the Ferrol shipyards.
“Today we are going to double down on that bet with great news,” he said, noting that this ship will be based on “another unit already in service in the Navy”, the combat supply ship ‘Cantabria’, which will allow “the start of the construction of this ship with maximum speed, based on an already existing model that is a reference”. All of this, he added, “incorporating the most recent technological advances.”
“OPPORTUNITY FOR THE REGION”
In his speech, Sánchez said that it is a “great opportunity for the entire Ferrol region”, with a “wealth-generating project” for the whole of Galicua and Spain. “Not only in terms of employment, that too, but because it will involve the participation of nearly 300 Spanish companies in the construction of this great unit and, of them, around 185 will be from here, from this land, from Galicia. “, has said.
The President of the Government has framed this announcement as another “milestone” on the path undertaken by his Government for the sector, with a “high involvement in the public naval company.” Furthermore, he has maintained that, after years of “stoppage and setback for whatever reasons,” the sector “is called to be a true emblem” of the Spanish industry. All of this, he has indicated, is framed in the “necessary commitment” of his Executive to reindustrialization.
“And that is the commitment that we are demonstrating, not only with words, but with actions,” he maintained to highlight that, in recent years, this commitment has materialized in investments worth “140 million euros” in the shipyards of the Ferrol estuary.
“This is the largest investment made in a shipyard in our country in more than 100 years,” he stated, ensuring that they are “emblematic and hopeful” projects for what they represent in the present and in the future. Thus, he has given as an example the digital block factory, the Digital Commerce Center of Excellence, as well as the renovation of some of the historic buildings of these shipyards.
GOAL FOR THE LEGISLATURE: REINDUSTRIALIZE
At the Navantia shipyards, the socialist president has stressed that we must continue to “conjugate”, as is his “objective” for this legislature, “the verb reindustrialize.” “Reindustrialize Ferrol, reindustrialize Galicia, reindustrialize Spain, ultimately reindustrialize our country in a sustainable way and also in a digital way,” said Sánchez, convinced that “those are the pillars on which the competitiveness of the economies in the present and in the future”.
To this end, he has also stressed the need to “involve the entire Galician society” and achieve this goal from an economic and business point of view, but also, as in his opinion Navantia already does, with “the academic world”, by promoting its collaboration with Galician universities.
In addition, he has mentioned the construction of the F-110 frigates, which involve an investment of 4.3 billion euros. “This program will be extended, as you know, until 2032. It is a guarantee of workload, employment, investment for these shipyards, more than 20 million hours of work and the creation of more than 9,000 jobs,” has pointed out.
“Navantia’s activity generates 11% of Galician industrial employment and 5% of the GDP of the province of A Coruña,” he highlighted to emphasize that this Wednesday’s announcement represents “one more step” to continue advancing in the creation of quality employment and reindustrialization. “This is employment, this is industry, this is the future,” she said.
